Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dhaka and Ligao City

For one person, living is cheaper in Dhaka: $406 a month against $733 in Ligao City, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

20

Cost of Living Index in Dhaka
Learn more

Dhaka Living Index
36

Cost of Living Index in Ligao City
Learn more

Ligao City Living Index

Jump to prices

Dhaka

🇧🇩 Bangladesh

$406

/mo nomad

Ligao City

🇵🇭 Philippines

$733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Dhaka and in Ligao City

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Dhaka and in Ligao City actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $406 in Dhaka versus $733 in Ligao City.

Dhaka $406
Ligao City $733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $687 in Dhaka versus $1,111 in Ligao City.

Dhaka $687
Ligao City $1,111

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $969 in Dhaka versus $1,490 in Ligao City.

Dhaka $969
Ligao City $1,490

Living in Dhaka costs roughly 45% less than in Ligao City, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Dhaka 70% lower, Ligao City 46% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.28 ৳282

$4.44 ₱280

-48.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$12.33 ৳1,523

$16.71 ₱1,052

-26.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.95 ৳488

$2.73 ₱172

44.69%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.48 ৳554

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.13 ৳510

Cappuccino

$2.28 ৳281

$2.27 ₱143

0.44%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ৳40.88

$0.65 ₱41.00

-49.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.16 ৳19.86

$0.31 ₱19.54

-48.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱73.7

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 ₱124

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 ৳104

$1.62 ₱102

-47.53%

White Bread (500g)

$0.60 ৳74.5

$1.15 ₱72.7

-47.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.69 ৳85.4

$0.91 ₱57.5

-24.18%

Eggs

$1.23 ৳152

$1.92 ₱121

-35.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.80 ৳1,087

$5.55 ₱349

58.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.33 ৳412

$4.14 ₱261

-19.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.63 ৳819

$7.29 ₱459

-9.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.85 ৳352

$2.34 ₱148

21.79%

Banana (1kg)

$0.90 ৳111

$1.54 ₱96.9

-41.56%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.34 ৳289

$2.34 ₱147

Tomato (1kg)

$0.63 ৳78.4

$1.12 ₱70.6

-43.75%

Potato (1kg)

$0.24 ৳29.59

$1.91 ₱120

-87.43%

Onion (1kg)

$0.46 ৳57.3

$1.94 ₱122

-76.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.35 ৳42.79

$0.95 ₱59.7

-63.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.28 ৳34.24

$0.55 ₱34.75

-49.09%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.11 ৳1,496

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.31 ৳656

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.42 ৳794

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.28 ৳405

$2.91 ₱183

12.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.72 ₱486

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱61.9

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 ₱117

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.42 ৳52.3

$0.25 ₱15.56

68.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.43 ৳2,772

$9.63 ₱606

132.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 ৳147

$0.75 ₱47.10

58.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.39 ৳48.71

$0.20 ₱12.81

95.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 ৳406

$1.98 ₱125

65.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 ৳136

$1.20 ₱75.5

-8.33%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$29.4K ৳3.6M

$24.1K ₱1.5M

22.34%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$32.2K ৳4.0M

$20.6K ₱1.3M

55.87%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$38.28 ৳4,729

$122 ₱7,655

-68.51%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$4.09 ৳506

$15.53 ₱978

-73.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.02 ৳1,114

$24.01 ₱1,512

-62.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$13.66 ৳1,688

$32.44 ₱2,042

-57.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.21 ৳1,261

$5.29 ₱333

93.01%

Cinema Ticket

$4.11 ৳508

$5.12 ₱322

-19.73%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$90.7 ৳11.2K

$134 ₱8,460

-32.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,591 ৳320.2K

$7,903 ₱497.6K

-67.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$17.06 ৳2,108

$33.37 ₱2,101

-48.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$21.38 ৳2,641

$19.88 ₱1,252

7.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.4 ৳6,355

$70.7 ₱4,452

-27.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$36.78 ৳4,545

$54.8 ₱3,449

-32.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$133 ৳16.4K

$266 ₱16.7K

-49.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$65.1 ৳8,041

$173 ₱10.9K

-62.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$377 ৳46.6K

$516 ₱32.5K

-26.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$192 ৳23.8K

$347 ₱21.9K

-44.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,621 ৳200.3K

$2,399 ₱151.1K

-32.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$760 ৳93.9K

$986 ₱62.1K

-22.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$246 ৳30.4K

$272 ₱17.1K

-9.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

10.48

6.79

54.34%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Dhaka: October 10, 2026

Last update for Ligao City: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Dhaka

$124 30.5%

Ligao City

$178 24.3% 44.2% $55

Accommodation & Living

Dhaka

$65 16%

Ligao City

$173 23.6% 166% $108

Eating Out

Dhaka

$59 14.6%

Ligao City

$85 11.6% 42.5% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Dhaka

$57 14.1%

Ligao City

$80 11% 41.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dhaka

$51 12.7%

Ligao City

$161 22% 214% $110

Getting Around

Dhaka

$27 6.7%

Ligao City

$12 1.7% 54.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Dhaka

$22 5.4%

Ligao City

$43 5.8% 95% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $133 in Dhaka and $266 in Ligao City. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Ligao City pays 11% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $12.00 in Dhaka vs $17.00 in Ligao City for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $124 vs $178 per month, with Dhaka cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇩 Dhaka

🇵🇭 Ligao City

🕒 Local time

06:25 6:25 AM

08:25 8:25 AM

2 h ahead of Dhaka

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,741,000 Capital

3,955

💱 Currency

Bangladeshi Taka BDT ৳

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD

1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, USD, EUR to BDT – Bangladeshi Taka Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇩 Bangladeshi Taka (৳)

Bangladeshi Taka exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 124 BDT (1,000 BDT = 8.09 USD). 1 EUR = 139 BDT (1,000 BDT = 7.2 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

USD to BDT in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Dhaka Ligao City 3,670 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Dhaka
Ligao City

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Dhaka vs Ligao City: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dhaka is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and clothing. The 81% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

On paper, salaries run 11% lower in Ligao City. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $133 in Dhaka versus $266 in Ligao City. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $406 per month in Dhaka versus $733 in Ligao City – a 81% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dhaka runs roughly 133% less than in Ligao City. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Either city works on $1,000 a month, though Dhaka gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Dhaka gentler on the wallet – expenses run 81% less than in Ligao City. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.